#41. Go to a book signing
Posted by: courtneyavise on: November 17, 2009
On November 14th, I had the pleasure of attending an event where one of the greatest Civil Rights Pioneers, Congressman John Lewis was the featured guest. The event was called “Dinner and Conversations with John Lewis” and was sponsored by my husband’s fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. In addition to discussing the Civil Rights Movement, Congressman Lewis also shared his thoughts on “America’s First African-American President; One Year Later”.
This was a lovely and first class affair at Andrews Air Force Base, and the event also served as a book signing where Congressman Lewis personally autographed copies of his book: Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. Published over a decade ago, the book is a deeply moving personal memoir that skillfully balances the intimate and touching recollections of the deeply thoughtful Lewis with the intense national drama that was the civil rights movement.
It was a pleasure to meet the Congressman and share an evening learning from his stories. He is truly an outstanding American who has demonstrated great courage and conviction throughout his life. I am very much looking forward to reading his book so that I can continue to pass the story of the Movement down through the generations. In particular, I cannot wait to teach my baby girl Kendall about this time period. Kendall enjoyed a fun evening at Miss Tracy’s house while Mommy & Daddy hung out with a civil rights legend! Thanks again Tracy! 
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#56. Go organic
Posted by: courtneyavise on: November 9, 2009
By definition, organic foods are grown or prepared without the use of chemicals or pesticides. As I have learned more about how foods are grown and prepared, its become increasingly important to me to only bring the healthiest food possible into my home for my family.
I’ve done a great job with converting to entirely organic fruits and vegetables. Some might be surprised to know that conventional apples are doused most frequently with pesticides. Pesticide exposure has been linked to a myriad of diseases, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease. The solution is to buy organic apples. Another great example is potatoes. Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in the soil. And in the case of potatoes, they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides during the harvest season. Again, buying organic potatoes is the answer. Washing isn’t good enough to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
It does cost a little bit more money to buy organic foods and convert to purchasing meats/fish from stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. However, the end result is that my family is eating healthier and we’ll live a longer life. And that’s priceless to me!
#11. Celebrate the life of Michael Jackson
Posted by: courtneyavise on: November 9, 2009
The one and only Michael Jackson – an entertainer who thrilled us for decades, passed away this past summer. Once I got past the initial shock of losing this mega-star of my lifetime, I began thinking about ways that I could honor his life and continue to keep his memory alive, especially as it relates to teaching my 2-year old daughter about the King of Pop!
I watched every tribute TV special I could find, and even took the day off work to watch his memorial service on television with a few friends. But when I heard that they turned his final concert rehearsal footage into a full-length film, I was elated! This is It!!
Some of my super-fun girlfriends and I got dressed in our flyest MJ t-shirts and headed downtown to watch the film. We sang, danced in our seats and “sha’moned” and “hee-hee’d” right along with every move Michael made. It was a magical two hours!
And then it was over. Reality set in. Michael is gone. GONE…..But definitely not forgotten. I plan on keeping his music alive in my life by singing and dancing to it, and teaching my daughter about him as she grows up.
So, thank you Michael, for all of the memories….and may you rest in eternal peace with our heavenly father.
#75. Buy a pair of UGG boots
Posted by: courtneyavise on: November 9, 2009
UGG Boots could likely be the most comfortable footwear that has ever touched my arches and toes! In fact, I do believe that UGGs are more comfortable than bare feet! What in the world took me so long to get a pair?!
UGG® Australia uses only the highest-grade sheepskin available. Twin-face sheepskin is used in many of their core products. A piece of twin-face sheepskin has been treated on both the fleece side, and the skin side, providing the soft comfort UGG® Australia is famous for.
Their formula works! Although these shoes are a high end luxury, I must say they are worth every time. I am looking forward to toasty warm toes throughout the winter season, and am hopeful that I can get a few more pairs in the future!
#84. Host a book club meeting
Posted by: courtneyavise on: October 23, 2009
As they say, reading is fundamental! Not only does reading provide a great escape from the day-to-day challenges of life, reading is also a great way to keep your mind sharp, expand your vocabulary, and it also makes you a better writer. So when I was invited to join a book club earlier this year, I was so excited. Yes, I know I keep a very busy schedule – but, it’s a treat for me to sneak away some quiet time to read a good book.
Recently, I hosted the Page Turners book club at my home for our October meeting. We read the book “Two Weeks Until the Rest of My Life” by RoseFogg. The author even came to the meeting to discuss the book with us and facilitate a great discussion on male/female relationships and keeping the passion alive. Everyone had a great time – we enjoyed wine, cheese, wings and some great conversation amongst sister-friends, and our very special male guest!
Movie Review: Good Hair
Posted by: courtneyavise on: October 13, 2009
So, we’re still talking about hair, eh? I went to see the movie “GOOD HAIR” and I was quite disappointed. Where I thought it might help to elevate the discussion around different hair textures and choices that ALL women make to enhance their beauty, it was the same old discussion of how black women just want to (supposedly) look like white women.
I so strongly disagree.
I have had every hairstyle under the sun, including my first “kiddie perm” around the age of 9, where I watched my hair break off in the sink as my mom rinsed the concoction out of my hair. My hair immediately then went into braids & beads and my dreams of “good hair” died. Years later, I kept going through the same thing….relax the hair, the hair falls out.
I hit a new level of frustration in 2004 when I went for my very first hair coloring treatment and my hair fell out again. There I was 29 years old and watching my hair fall out in clumps. And all because I wanted was a fresh new look for the spring season.
The movie did not address the phenomenon of white women who color their hair blonde (which has to be the gross majority of them), or the fact that white women wear weaves and extensions just as much as we do these days. Why all this finger pointing at black women Chris Rock? Also, I don’t know your wife Malaak personally, but I can see from the pictures that she’s a beautiful black woman. But I’d wager that she is wearing a hair weave right now. Do you have a problem with that?
The “creamy crack”, i.e. relaxer (sodium hydroxide) is a lye-based mixture, a dangerous chemical combination that serves to straighten kinky hair. Many of us have relied on it so that we can simply get a comb through our hair. I have the kinkiest of kinky hair texture. The type of hair that requires some “anecdote” (as the movie says) to help manage it. I reached a point in the most recent years where I no longer want to put those chemicals in my hair because my hair falls out each and every time that I do. Its too traumatizing, and my hair takes an eternity to grow back.
I feel that if black women had a better alternative than this toxic chemical, that we’d use it. Could it be that we are relaxing our hair so that we can better manage it, and not because we are trying to look white? Just a thought. So while I wait for the next generation of scientists to come up with something better, I am enjoying having fun with braids, extensions and weaves which come in different lengths, colors and textures. And as long as I can afford it, whats the big deal? Maybe one day I will get sick of the whole process and just shave my head bald. We’ll see.
Bottom line – what is so wrong with wanting to change up your look if you have the desire to do so? I get up every morning and put contact lenses in my eyes and have been doing so for 20 years. Sure, I have glasses. But I don’t like the way I look in them. So what?!
#96. Go to 5 new restaurants in the D.C. area
Posted by: courtneyavise on: October 13, 2009
Our Founding Farmers
I had the pleasure of visiting Our Founding Farmers on two back to back lunch meetings with work colleagues. Owned by a collective of American family farmers, Our Founding Farmers promotes the products and services of family farms, ranches, and fisheries. It’s such a cool concept! This restaurant is always packed with wall-to-wall people and a reservation is recommended. On both occasions that I visited, we had to sit at the bar because it was so crowded. Bar seating did not diminish our experience in any way, and the comforting grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup that I enjoyed was divine. The dishes are inspired takes on old favorites. Think Cheesecake Factory with the freshest, locally grown and sustainable ingredients. Two thumbs up!
Good Stuff Eatery
Anyone who knows me knows of my Michelle Obama obsession. So when a friend mentioned that Good Stuff Eatery was the latest burger that the First Lady enjoyed, I was game to check it out. Let me say this. I have never, ever had a better burger and fries than the Colletti Smokehouse at this restaurant. Yep, I said it — burgers better than Five Guy’s!! The Colletti Smokehouse has applewood smoked bacon, Vidalia onion rings, Sharp Vermont cheddar and Chiptole BBQ sauce. Talk about a match made in heaven. And the restaurant is a casual laid back environment, so take your bestest friends so you can laugh, talk and enjoy a good time. My friends and I were so excited on our most recent visit, to run into “the man” himself, restraurant owner and Top Chef contestant, Spike Mendelsohn. Good Stuff gets two thumbs WAY up and I cannot wait to return!
Hanging out with Chef Spike at the Good Stuff Eatery!
Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch is an all-American bar & grille, located at the National Harbor in Maryland. My husband and I sat at the bar for drinks and munched on appetizers on a Saturday night. The restaurant was crowded, but not yet packed. We enjoyed the rock & roll inspired décor, as well as the occasional brave soul that hopped on the mechanical bull for a ride that lasted on average, about 3 seconds. Two thumbs up on the spinach, avocado and crab dip, which is served with Old Bay seasoned cripy chips. And the bartender there makes a “to-die-for” Cosmopolitan. I can’t wait to go back!
Ben’s Next Door
Ben’s Chili Bowl is a D.C. institution. Located on U Street, they serve up delicious chili half smokes that will leave you begging for more. Recently, they opened up a fancy version of themselves, right next door, and they called it Ben’s Next Door. The occasion was my sister’s 29th birthday when I had the opportunity to soak up the funky-fresh ambiance and sink my teeth into a delicious filet, mashed sweet potatoes and garlic spinach. A delicious combo indeed! The filet was not cooked exactly to my specification, but it was tasty nonetheless. The service was pretty good as well. I don’t know if I’d revisit this restaurant, but the experience I did have there was pretty good and I give it one thumb up!
Grace’s Mandarin
Also located in the beautiful National Harbor, Grace’s Mandarin specializes in Asian fusion cuisine, while offering an elegant atmosphere, with every dining room table offering a view of the Potomac River. My husband and I visited the restaurant on a recent “date night.” Its just too bad that the service at this restaurant is abysmal. After waiting 10 minutes for a table, even though we were right on time for our 8pm reservation, my husband and I were hoping that things would improve. But they didn’t. The waiter got my order completely wrong, and my husband was entirely finished with his dinner and mine had yet to show up. Needless to say, we did not pay a dime for our troubles. After complaining to the manager, we grabbed our coats and headed out the door. Two thumbs way down on this restaurant, I will never visit again!
#58. Attend a festival
Posted by: courtneyavise on: October 5, 2009
The weather could not have been more perfect for the Kinderfest at Watkins Park. It was 73 degrees and sunny and a great day for family fun! Now in its 28th year, Kinderfest is a fall festival that celebrates children and families. We enjoyed entertainment, workshops and exhibits, moon bounces, carnival games, pumpkin patch, farm and nature activities, and more. The admission was FREE, and the park is 5 minutes from our house. We had a blast!
#92. Convert to re-usable grocery bags. Actually use them.
Posted by: courtneyavise on: October 5, 2009
What a no-brainer! At only 99 cents per bag, it was easy and cheap to purchase these lovely little bags from Giant, and I felt such pride as I filled my groceries in them! I had that confident “I am doing something good for the environment” kind of feeling. Just marvelous!
#57. Make recycling a part of the normal routine in my household
Posted by: courtneyavise on: September 27, 2009
Better late than never, right? It seems like everyone else in the world has been recycling forever, but not the Petersons (smile). Well that has changed!! Prince George’s County provides very detailed instructions on their website regarding what we can recycle. So, there is just no excuse not to do it! We are now fully on board with helping to ensure future resources for generations to come. So, before we chuck something in the garbage, we ask ourselves…”hey, is that recyclable?!”"
